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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26956126">Taiora Week 2020</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveandJohnny/pseuds/EveandJohnny'>EveandJohnny</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure tri.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Digimon, F/M, Post-Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna (Movie), TaioraWeek2020, ratings can vary - please check the notes for every chapter!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 21:33:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,423</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26956126</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveandJohnny/pseuds/EveandJohnny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of prompts for this year's Taiora Week over on tumblr.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Takenouchi Sora/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Proving Herself</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day 1 - First Meeting</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>   Their coach Douglas was a bulky American, living in Japan for ten years now, wed to a lovely Tokyo lady who’d bring sunscreen to every game and cake to every birthday. Douglas pestered them in every training, but in a good way, to bring out the best in the boys, and when there was trouble he was their shoulder to cry on. </p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>   Today, though, he was not alone. “Boys!” he called in his deep rumbling voice “I want you to meet your new teammate. This is Sora Takenouchi, she’s just moved in the area. I don’t have to tell you to be kind to her, now do I?” Douglas raised an eyebrow. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   The boys quickly shook their heads though they were not sure what to make of a girl on their team. They had heard of all girl teams but didn’t really give them credit to keep up with their level. And they expected the same from the red haired, scrawny girl standing beside their coach.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>    None of them moved until their captain suddenly got up, drawing all their attention to him, and extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Taichi Yagami, the captain. I’m happy to have you on my team.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>  Sora looked up, a little confused, but her tense shoulders started to loosen a little. After a split-second of consideration, she shook it firmly and smiled.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>  “Is she going to change with us?”, one of them asked peeved, pulling a towel over his boxer shorts.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>  Immediately, Sora took a step back, her face having the same guarded expression as when she had come in.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Coach Douglas sternly eyed the player in question. “Yes, she will. You’re five, she’s not going to steal your abs by just looking at them.” With a firm “Training starts in ten” he left the kids to change.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “Don’t worry about Yusei, he’s usually a bit cagey at the beginning but when you get to know him better he’s a great friend” Taichi, who was still standing in front of Sora, said. Then he turned to his teammates “You heard the coach! She’s our new player so we’re gonna help her and not ride roughshod over her.” Then he showed Sora a free locker where she could change in front of.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   The sun was hidden behind fuzzy clouds when they entered the field. Coach Douglas had prepared a set of tasks that they had to tackle in groups and then rotate around on clockwise. Sora was in Taichi’s group. Quickly, she had earned the respect of the other boys in that group. She could keep up easily at the tasks whether they regarded speed, skill, or accuracy.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   The second part of the training consisted of dribbling exercises where they were told to pair up. Taichi immediately came over to Sora. “So you’re new here” he said, hoping to get a bit more information out of her.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “Yeah, my Mom wanted to open her own flower shop and she found that empty retail unit just a couple of blocks away from the stadium. It was too far to travel there every day and back home so we moved.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “And what does your Dad do?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “He’s an anthropology professor in Kyoto.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Taichi eyes went wide. “He doesn’t live with you?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora shook her head while she passed the ball back to him. “No, but that’s okay. I don’t know it any other way. I think Mom tries to be both parents for me. But she doesn’t like that I play football. I had to beg her to let me go here. She thinks I’m too fragile or whatever. Just because I’m a girl.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>  “I don’t think that that’s the reason. She’s got only you so of course she’s worried.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora looked doubtingly at him but before she could reply their coach blew his whistle. “Everybody gather!” he called. They assembled around him, hands poised on their hips, feet balanced on the balls. “Time for your favourite part of the training: the game!” The boys cheered, and Sora cheered the loudest. It was finally time to show them all what she was capable of. Counting alternately between one and two, he divided the children into two groups. This time, Sora and Taichi were on opposite teams but she was supposed to play with Yusei.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   He eyed her with suspicion. “You can go to the left defender position” he ordered her and positioned himself as striker.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Coach Douglas looked around the kids. They shuffled their feet in anticipation. He inhaled deeply and blew his whistle with puffed cheeks.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Taichi was the first at the ball, manoeuvring it through his fellow teammates that were now his opponents. But not for long.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora did her best on the defender position and that was a lot. She easily separated Taichi from the ball, leaving him awestruck behind. Her dribbling was smooth, rounding the boys just like Taichi had done seconds earlier though in the opposite direction. She lifted her head, quickly assessed the situation and passed the ball to Yusei who had offered himself on the right-hand side. He accepted the pass with an appreciative nod -  his first reluctant reaction towards her had faded fast as he knew how to recognize a skilled player. Two more long strides, a powerful kick, and the first goal of the match was scored.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   His team mates cheered while he approached Sora. “Well played” he said and offered his hand.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora shook it without hesitation. “Nice effort” she replied equally esteeming.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Suddenly Taichi appeared beside Sora to put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey Sora, that was great! Welcome to the team!”</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Reflections</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Day 2 - First Date</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>   Sora looked into the mirror. The blush on her cheeks was natural, no make-up needed, because today was a special day.  </p><p>   She didn’t know when it had happened, when things had changed. One day, Taichi was just Taichi, a bushy-haired teenager with mostly football and food dominating his thoughts. A good friend, her best, but she hadn’t spared him her last thought when she’d gone to bed and the first when she’d woken the next day.  </p>
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>   Then suddenly, exactly that had happened.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   For quite a while, she had debated with herself whether she should tell him. She didn’t want to risk their friendship by telling him in the case that he didn’t feel the same and then might treat her with wariness, or worse, pity.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>    But at some point Taichi had noticed that something was off. A couple of days ago, he had cornered her to inquire about it. She had tried to hem and haw but Taichi had never been a fan of drivel and had insisted that she told him straight away what was on her mind.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Nervously fidgeting, barely looking at him and voice hardly audible, she had confessed to him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>    For a second there was just silence.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>    Finally, Sora dared to look up. And discovered a sheepishly grinning Taichi. He scratched the back of his neck and abashment had tinted his face red. Now it had been Sora’s turn to coax his thoughts out of him with a quizzical look. Then he had dropped the bombshell.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   And now here she was, thirty minutes away from their first date. She nervously combed her hair and then asked herself why she was nervous. She’d known Taichi since she was five years old, had seen him sweaty after countless football matches just as he’d seen her. She knew what got him excited and what made him cry. How he hated injustice and boring, self-absorbed people. He had listened when she had ranted about her mom’s choking rules and held her hand when she had realized that it was just motherly love and concern about her well-being. So maybe falling in love was just a natural progression.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   She put the comb down and looked into the mirror again. Until now, falling in love had meant what she’d seen on the screen, a world-rocking, almost fright-inducing feeling. But for her it hadn’t felt that way, it still didn’t. It was much more subtle and soft, like the warm glow she felt inside when she looked out the window on a train ride, the sun shining, green fields flying by, and knowing that there was a purpose to her ride as much as the time on the train was just hers. Maybe “love” was just a different word for “friendship”, a different form of it.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Smilingly, she reached for the butterfly hairclip Taichi had gotten her for a birthday that felt like it was both yesterday and an eternity ago. Why she had started a quarrel about it she didn’t know anymore but maybe back then she had known, deep in her heart, that Taichi might one day mean more to her than just a friend and that she had been simply embarrassed about this, at that point in her life, thoughtful present.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   But dwelling too long in the past wouldn’t work if she wanted to make this last, to make it more than a fling between friends which than frazzled into fewer and fewer contact or even ended in an ugly break-up leading to never speaking to each other again.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Baby steps, she told herself. What mattered at the moment was the date he was going to pick her up for in a couple of minutes and everything was still up in the air. And she was fine with that.</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. It's On The Cards</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Day 3 - Hobbies</p><p>Rated Teen Up And Audiences for implied smut.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>   “You cheated!” Taichi cried indignantly, slamming his right hand flat on the table.</p><p>   Sora smiled slyly. “I surely didn’t. You’re just lacking strategies.”</p><p></p><div class="">
  <p>   “No way! I saw you drawing that joker from your sleeve.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   With an eyebrow raised, Sora replied “You’re going with the oldest accuse in history? Well, you <em>wish</em> it was that simple. Face it, Taichi, you just don’t have a knack for card games.” She tapped his still nearly full hand while she had just won the fifth time in a row. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “I want revenge!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>    “Again?” Sora chuckled. “My, why not. Though maybe we should spice things up a bit – maybe with a bet?” She winked suggestively.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   The idea lit up Taichi’s face. “That’s brilliant. But we can make it even better!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Seeing Taichi’s mischievous grin, Sora nearly regretted her impulsive proposition. He could be nothing but trouble sometimes.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “We play strip rummy! For a first meld the opposite party has to discard a piece of clothing. Same goes for swapping cards with a joker and completing a meld of similar cards on the table. And the loser has to strip in full.” He was wiggling his eyebrows, beaming.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora looked at him for a moment, confused and rapidly blinking. The she burst into vigorous laughter.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Taichi made a sour face. “So you think you know who’ll sit here naked soon? Well, you better be careful with your assumptions!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora tried hard to get herself under control again. She breathed deeply and waved her hand at the same time to shoo off Taichi’s wrong thoughts. “It’s not that” she finally managed to say between hiccups. “When you’re determined on something anything can happen. So I know better than to bet on my lucky streak to continue. Admit it, Taichi! You just want this card game to end in bed!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   At least Taichi had the decency to turn red. “How do you know?” he sputtered.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora leaned back, arms crossed and smirking knowingly. “Taichi, we’ve been together for six years so by now I should know your favourite thing. And to calm your nerves: I’m in.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Taichi raised his fist. “I knew you wanted this just as much as I do. Oh, and before we start: Jewellery doesn’t count and socks are one piece of clothing. The belt belongs to the pants – not that you think you could cheat.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora rolled her eyes. “We both know that I don’t cheat. Ever.” After a heartbeat she said “It’s your turn to shuffle and deal. So make sure to give me an extra difficult hand if you want to see me naked.”</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Radical Changes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Day 4 - Emblem</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class=""><p>   The electrical razor buzzed. Bssr, it went, and another bit of chestnut hair fell into the newspaper covered sink.</p>
<p>   “Taichi, we’re gonna be late! What are you doing there in the bathroom anyway?”</p>
<p>   Bssr. Another strand of hair sailed downwards. </p>
<p>   “No, we won’t. There’s still plenty o’ time.”</p>

<p></p><div class=""><p>    Bssr. More brown hair filled the sink while the razor relentlessly sheared away.</p></div>   Taichi looked into the mirror, determined but also a fraction frightened about what he was doing.</div><div class="">
  <p>   “Taichi! I know it’s just a thirty-fourth birthday but it’s Kou’s thirty-fourth birthday. I can’t believe you want to keep <em>your best friend</em> waiting. And embarrass <em>me</em> like that.” Sora hammered against the bathroom door. If there was anything she disliked the most it was being unpunctual. But as she was none to back down from a challenge she had married Taichi.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “Like what?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   In her anger she hadn’t, for a split second, noticed how the bathroom door had finally opened. Her mouth stood agape. “Tai...chi?” was all she managed to say, her hand instinctively raised in the air to touch his now short hair.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Gone was the bushy mane Taichi had been sporting since she knew him. In the past years, he had to be positively dragged to a barber’s for a trimming of his hair tips to avoid split ends. Scissors he had regarded with as much disdain as he had regarded Devimon.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   And now this. Barely an inch of hair was left, surely more than Iori had, but in comparison to the mass of hair she’d still seen on him at the breakfast table hardly an hour ago it was as if he’d gone completely bald.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “Why?” she asked, not judgingly, just curious, after she had simply stared at him for a full minute.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “I thought it was time to be brave again” he said laconically though there was a tiny edge of insecurity in his voice.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Which was blown away by Sora’s boisterous laugh and the encouraging kiss she gave him. “And I love you for that! Oh, can’t wait for the others to see you!”</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Detours</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Day 5 - Travel</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p></p><div class="">
  <p>   When the Tokaido Shinkansen stopped in Nagoya, Sora stirred to life. She’d been listening to an audiobook, gazing out into the rushing-by landscape on a sunny Friday. But now she was alert. She pressed her nose to the window, craning her neck to the left and to the right and scanning the platform for a certain wild-maned person. He’d been in Kaga for a soccer match the previous day, and now they wanted to meet for a shared vacation weekend in Osaka.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   At least that’d been the plan.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   The car filled with boarding passengers, silent and polite, until most of the seats were taken. Except the one beside her. Sora wasn’t too worried at first, she had texted Taichi her seat number just before they had departed Tokyo even though they had initially booked seats beside each other.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>    When the train began to move again and gained more and more speed, her restlessness grew. Granted, Taichi could sometimes be a little off the charts, bewildered even, but could he really be this confused as if to not find the right car? She straightened herself to look over the rows of seats, hoping to see a panting, slightly dishevelled looking Taichi finally entering the car because he had just made it in time.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   But no such luck. The only one that came through the door was the conductor.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>  Sora huffed and checked her phone again. No message. She opened the messenger app and noticed that her message hadn’t actually been read. She wrote him another text, just to give him an impulse to check his phone. Then, with the uneasiness not quite vanished, she resumed her audiobook.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   But she couldn’t really enjoy it.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   When the train stopped in Kyoto, she was again on the look-out for Taichi but there was no familiar face among the new passengers. Her stomach lurched. Still no notice, either. That was rather unusual. Even if he messaged belayed, he messaged in the end. But not today. She pressed play on the audiobook but she couldn’t follow it. Her thoughts drifted away time and time again; the more miles the train made the more she worried. That he had simply stood her up seemed out of question. Why would he? So the only possible conclusion, the longer she thought about it, was that something had happened to him.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   She texted him again. Calling was not an option as it was not welcome on Japanese trains.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   The remaining half-hour of her train ride she fretted more and more about his well-being.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “Next stop: Osaka. Last stop, please exit the train” a female AI voice announced when the train pulled smoothly into the station.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora sighed, slightly shaking from trying not to cry, and gathered her belongings. She queued up behind an old, wizened man, itching to get out on the platform to finally try and call Taichi. She pushed her way through the crowd to a pillar where she unloaded her bag and dialled his number. It went straight to voicemail. She tried again, about seven times, always with the same result.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   When the voicemail picked up the final time, she simply burst into tears. She didn’t know what might have happened but it must have been bad when it rendered Taichi unable to call. She had no idea whom to call now, she didn’t have his coach’s number or those of his teammates.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   As she stood there weeping, a middle-aged lady came up to her. “Is everything alright?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “I, hhh, I don’t know” she sobbed, hardly intelligible. “I can’t get through to my boyfriend. We were to meet in Nagoya but he wasn’t on the train and I can’t reach him on his phone.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “My, my. I’m sure there’s a simple reason for this. Maybe his phone just died?” She tentatively reached for Sora’s trembling shoulders because Sora gave so little about Japanese social conventions that she aroused the woman’s compassion.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   For a couple more minutes they just stood there, Sora trying to get herself under control again and the woman just standing beside her, keeping her company.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Suddenly, something came barrelling towards them, the only premonition being a surprised yelp, and then someone crashed into Sora, nearly toppling over both.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   The friendly woman stood there bewildered, staring at a tall young man with hair as wild as a lion’s.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “Sor, I’m so sorry” he mumbled into Sora’s hair, hugging her tightly.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora was too stunned to say anything for quite some time. Then she turned her head to gaze at Taichi, still puffy-eyed and with red-patched cheeks. “Taichi? Where do you come from?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   “Man, I’m so sorry! It’s a wild story. I got to the station in Kaga in time but just a few minutes before our planned departure there was the announcement that the train had engine failure and that they couldn’t bring in a replacement in time. So I asked my coach to take me to the next town to catch another train but he wanted to take me straight to Osaka because that’s easier to reach than Nagoya. I really wanted to call you but my phone had died and I had forgotten my charger. I don’t know your number by heart so I couldn’t use my coach’s phone. And he also doesn’t have any social media so I couldn’t text you, either. I had hoped to get here before your train pulls in but the traffic kept us up. I’m so, so sorry how all this went down.” He kissed her on the cheek, it was a long kiss, before he pulled back and looked into her eyes.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora was too overwhelmed at first to respond to his hearty verbiage. Then she started laughing. When her laughs subsided, she first looked to the woman. “Thank you very much for your sympathy but I think it’s all resolved now.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   The stranger nodded. “I can see that. All the best to you two.” With that she took her own bag and moved on.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>   Sora shook her head. “This can really only happen with you, Taichi. Life with you is never boring but I could have given that a miss.” Then she kissed him on the lips.</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Mutual Love Letter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Day 6 -  Treasure</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="daUfr">
  <p>  </p>
  <p> </p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>(ID: Four pictures of an open white-paged journal. The text on the first page reads: “ It’s early in the morning and you’re still sound asleep. Last night was a long one, I don’t even know when you came to bed. But I can tell that it was worth it. That wedding gown for Mimi looks gorgeous. Jou will be the proudest groom the world has ever seen – so far. When we’re going to marry, of, course, that will be me. I made you scrambled eggs. I know they taste better when they’re fresh but I wanted to leave something for you when you wake up. Today will be busy, I can sense that, so I don’t know when I’ll be back. I love you Sor.“ The page is adorned by a doodle of a sleepy bird in the lower right-hand corner.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>The second page, adorned by a hand-drawn flower, reads: “ And I earned that sleep! But you’re right. The gown is one of my masterpieces. You know how self-critical I am and how hard it is for me to accept compliments but looking at that dress even I can’t find a fly in the ointment. You should be careful what you wish for, Taichi! I might or might not have already a sketch of my own wedding gown in the drawer. That can happen quicker than you think. Don’t worry about coming late: I’ve got another order, this time for business suit so I’ll be probably still awake when you get home. Love you too, Chi.“</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>The third page, illustrated by a doodle of a sparkling diamond ring, reads: “ I know we’ve just spoken in the kitchen but I can’t repeat it often enough – I’d love to see you in a wedding gown. Something flowing would suit you, or a mix of a traditional kimono and something more Western. I’m sorry but I don’t think such a frilly monster like you made for  Mimi would be the thing for you. (I said it looks gorgeous and I mean that. For someone like Mimi). So we’re now actually talking about marriage? Does this count as a proposal or do you still want me to get a proper engagement ring?“</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>The remaining page, accentuated by the imprint of red lips, reads: “ You started this whole marriage talk! But I do think we’re at a point were we can seriously consider it. I wouldn’t mind a ring, but you don’t have two spend two months’ worth salary on it (Heavens forbid!) and don’t you dare stage a “romantic” proposal where you put the letters for “Will you marry me?” on the N700 and then drag me to Tokyo Station to watch it pull in. A simple question at the breakfast table suffices. Because you already know the answer...“ End ID)</em>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Day 7 - Future</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
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  <p>   “OMG Taichi! You look sooo good!” Mimi exclaimed and tore him into a manic embrace you wouldn’t expect from such a petite person.</p>
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  <p>   His remaining friends’ reactions though were a little less ecstatic. “Mate, what’s gotten into you?” Yamato asked in disbelief and with a furrowed brow.</p>
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  <p>   “Taichi, <em>what</em> have you done to your beautiful hair?” Miyako’s face alternated between shock and surprise.</p>
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  <p>   All Koushirou and Jou managed to do was blink when confronted with Taichi’s new coiffure.</p>
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  <p>   Daisuke, who’d been rummaging around in the kitchen and who’d been deaf to the commotion Taichi and Sora’s arrival had caused, sauntered into the living room but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the news. His eyes went wide, for a moment unable to comprehend what was before his eyes. Then he found his voice again. “Sora!” he shouted. “How could you let <em>this</em> happen?”</p>
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  <p>   “Excuse me? Taichi can do what he pleases with his hair” Mimi got all worked up about his reaction but Sora just laughed.</p>
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  <p>   Loud.</p>
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  <p>   “I appreciate your concern, Daisuke. I was quite flabbergasted myself when I first saw Taichi’s act of bravery. But as Mimi said: He’s a free elf and I do like it. Even though I miss ruffling his mane every now and then.” To Taichi she cooed “Right?” and did just that though it was less fun than before.</p>
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  <p>   Taichi rolled his eyes but secretly he loved it. “But I’m not the main person today!” he then proclaimed. “Kou, happy birthday to you!” He found his way to his best friend to hug him and give him their gift. It was neither romantic nor very creative but it was what Kou had wished for and Kou’s wish had been their command. Kou had asked for something as simple and easily acquired as a crockpot. But Sora had added a personal touch by creating a durable ikebana that captured his curiosity and loyalty.</p>
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  <p>   “Thank...you”, Kou stammered, hardly looking at his present. Instead his gaze was fixed on Taichi’s new hair. “May I, uh, may I touch it?”, he finally whispered.</p>
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  <p>   “Oh yeah sure, go ahead.” Taichi bent down for Kou to touch his head.</p>
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  <p>   Tentatively, Kou stroked Taichi’s hair, not sure what to think about it.</p>
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  <p>   They were snapped out of whatever they were in when Mimi clapped her hands. “Time for cake!” she called and, when everybody looked at her, revealed a giant self-baked Black Forest gateau. Sora fetched a knife from the kitchen. Crockery was already out on the table.</p>
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  <p>   Jou adjusted his glasses and patted Taichi’s shoulder while Mimi heaved generous wedges onto plates. “What led you to this decision?” Jou asked and pointed at Taichi’s hair.</p>
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  <p>   Taichi shrugged. “It was more an impulse than a sensible decision, really. But hair sports the thankful feature to grow back. So it’s just a temporary experiment.” He grinned.</p>
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  <p>   Jou nodded solemnly. Then looked out of the window, suddenly reminiscing about something. “Do you remember the shoulder-length hair I had when I was fifteen?” He involuntarily shuddered.</p>
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  <p>   Taichi laughed. “A sin of your youth! But I remember Mimi saying on more than a couple occasions that she liked your hair then. Found it dashing, she said.” He bumped his shoulder.</p>
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  <p>   “She did?” Jou stole a glance towards Mimi who laughed about a joke Daisuke had made and threw her lavender-coloured hair back. A curious sparkle appeared in Jou’s eyes.</p>
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  <p>   “You should ask her out sometime” Taichi said after a second.</p>
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  <p>   “Yeah?”</p>
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  <p>   “Yeah.”</p>
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